Rourkela: The tribal woman and her daughter, who were rescued while walking nude on College Road in Sundargarh town on Friday, were reportedly victims of ‘sexual assault’ back home in Jharkhand.
According to reports, woman, in her mid-40s, and her daughter, in mid-20s, hail from the bordering village of Khairimunda in the adjacent Simdega district of Jharkhand. However, it is yet to be ascertained as to how they reached a bridge on College Road in the town, from where they were rescued by BJP MLA Kusum Tete, who covered the women with shawls from her vehicle and sent them to Aastha Gruha, a shelter for mentally-ill women, located in Rangadhipa of Sundargarh town, with the help of police.
Secretary of Aastha Gruha, Snehalata Patel, said that there has been gradual improvement in the health of the mother-daughter duo since they arrived on Friday when they were not in a state to speak. They were administered saline on the first day. The mother, who had began to recall certain details, alleged that her brother-in-law, Mithun, had been sexually exploiting them. She further said that her daughter had gone to work in Delhi and had been in a state of shock since she returned home a few days ago, Patel said, adding they were also attacked and assaulted on the way.
The woman had lost her husband a few years back and was staying there with his three daughters and a son. They left their village about three day ago.
Sundargarh SP Pratyush Diwaker told the media that police are closely monitoring their condition and awaiting their recovery.
